Malindi Member of Parliament, Aisha Jumwa Katana, has spoken about her tough upbringing and being married off at a tender age.
Speaking at the Kenya Kwanza Women's Charter on Friday, June 10, Jumwa stated that her father had six wives and 28 daughters.
Since he was not able to cater for the needs of his large family and could not afford to pay school fees for his daughters, he chose the most unpopular way of getting them from his house.
She stated that since her father opted to marry her off when she was still a minor.
"I was sold at a throwaway price when my father was unable to educate us. I am the only one in our family who saw the light. I was appointed to the position of a mayor," she stated.
Jumwa told the gathering that she is the only one among her sisters who managed to go to school, noting that she was lucky to have gotten out of the situation, unlike her sisters who were unlucky.
The Malindi MP noted that many girls and young women are still affected by challenges such as early marriages and urged Deputy President William Ruto to pledge funding and support against child marriages.
"You have given a lot of hope to many like myself in the villages. That you will enable the girl child who has been abused and failed to continue with their education. You have touched my heart on behalf of many girls who are victims of early marriages," she added.
Statistics show that 23 per cent of Kenyan girls are married before their 18th birthday and 4 per cent are married before the age of 15.
According to data, 3 per cent of boys in Kenya are married before the age of 18. Notably, Kenya has the 18th highest absolute number of women married or in a union before the age of 18 in the world – 580,000.
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Early marriages also fuel other social vices such as teen pregnancies among minors in Kenya. Research shows that early childbearing can increase health risks for newborns as well as young mothers. The risks are higher for children of teen mothers, most of whom are born with low birth weight.
Statistics from Kenya Data and Health Survey 2021 indicate that teen pregnancy is at alarming stages, especially in counties such as Kiambu. The government has been asked to take the issue seriously by health and parenting experts.
